The field of the disclosure relates generally to electric power generation equipment and, more particularly, to submersible liquid-vapor generators (LVGs).
Continued exploration of undersea environments requires submerged, proximate, compact, and reliable electric power generation sources with sufficient capacity to provide a high power density for extended periods of time. As such, most standard power generation devices that rely on fossil fuels are not practical for undersea operations. Also, more standard renewable power sources, e.g., wind and solar are also not available. Other exotic power generation systems include thermoelectric (TE), photon enhanced thermionic (PET), and thermophotovoltaic (TPV). In general, TE-based systems require a large temperature drop to be effective, a condition not typically found in undersea environments. PET systems and TPV systems require exposure to the sun. Nuclear and chemical conversion power generation systems are also impractical for widespread use in undersea applications (other than submarines) due to practical considerations, e.g., environmental regulations.
Many known magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) power generators have been developed for a variety of applications. These known MHD generators use a liquid metal-seeded plasma stream channeled through a Hall generator and have demonstrated efficiencies approaching 40%. However, since greater efficiencies are found with higher temperatures, such MHD systems are limited by the materials available, and such materials, excluding expensive exotic materials, are susceptible to temperature and corrosion effects. Furthermore, such known MHD systems use a two-phase fluid mixture, some with metal particles injected into and entrained therein, accelerated to high velocities and channeled through a magnetic field to generate the Hall voltage potential. However, such known MHD systems require intricate plumbing configurations for multiple flow circuits that include metal particle injection and mixing apparatus and metal particle separation apparatus. As such, known MHD systems are not suitable for extended deployments in undersea environments.